Stringed musical instrument



E. RE.

STRINGED MUSICAL iNSTRUMENT,

APPLICATION FILED APR.21, I919.

Iatented June 29, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- wwemtoz E. RE} STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED APR. 21, 1919. 1,845,239. Patented June 29, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mwtoz Emz o Be 4 UNITED sTATEs' nivnioo' RE, 0F CAMDEN, nEw JERSEY.

' STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented, June 29, 1920.

Application filed April 21, 1919. Serial No. 291,468.

T 0 all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ENRIcoRE a subject of the King of Italy, residing at. the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments, of which the following is a speci fication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. 7

This invention relates to certain improvements in stringed musical instruments and has relation more particularly to an instrument of this general character including a neck, and it is anobject of the invention to provide anovel and improved device of this general character wherein the neck may be folded relative to the body of the instrument in order to facilitate the storage and convenient transportation thereof.

It is also an object of the inventionto provide a'novel and improved device of this general character wherein the neck maybe folded inwardly of the body, together with means whereby the tail piece of the strings is yieldingly engaged with the body to permit the desired folding of the neck without detaching the strings.

Another object of the invention is to pro videan instrument of this character comprising a yieldingly supported tail piece, to-

gether with means for. holding the tail piece in working position and whereby said tail piece may be adjustedrelative to the body to tighten the strings'as the occasions of practice may require and independently of the keysofthe instrument. Y

A still further object of the invention is to provide an instrument of this general character wherein the neck, when folded, is housed within the body of the instrument so that the same may be compacted to occupy a minimum of space when not in use.

The" invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of. the several parts of my im proved stringed musical instrument. whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, aswlllbe herein- 7 afterImore fully set forth. 1

amden in.

. better understood, I willnow proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a stringed musical instrument having an embodiment of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the mounting of the tail piece in accordance with an embodiment of my invention. y

Rig. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2.

Fig. .1.- is a view in elevation of the back of the instrument with the neck in fragment.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating in detail'the' connection of the neck with the body and with the neck extendedor in operative position.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with the neck housed within the body, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

. As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, B denotes the body of a stringed mu: sical instrument, such as a guitar, and which has disposed longitudinally of its back and Secured to the outer face of the block or v slide 4: is a leaf 5 of a hinge H and the second leaf 6 of said hinge is secured to the under face of the inner end portion of the neck N. Then the neck N is in extended'or operative position, the block 4: is positioned adjacent the back of the body B. When it is desired to house the neck N within the body B, the slide S is removed and the neck N swung inwardly of the body B and then forced laterally within the body which lateral movement is permitted by the block or slide 4. The'slide S is then returned to its closed position. With the neck N housed within the body B, the instrument may be transported with convenience and facility and can also be stored with convenience and facility within a relatively small space or within a space substantially equal to the dimensions of the body B.

The tail piece T has its outer portion hingedly connected as at 8 with the upper marginal portion of a plate 9 which, when the device is in operative assemblage, overlies the end wall of the body B.

Suitably secured to the under surface of the tail piece T adjacent its inner margin is a cross member 10 to which are secured the extremities of the flexible members 11. Each of the members 11 passes over a pulley 12 or the like carried by the upper marginal portion of the vertically disposed plate 1 1.

The plate 14 is arranged within a cut away portion 15 in the end wall of the body B and rests upon the shoulder 16 at the inner end of said cut away portion. The end wall of the body B below the cut away portion 15 is provided with the channels or grooves 17 in communication with the cut away portion 15 and substantially at right angles to the shoulder 16 and arranged within each of said grooves or channels 1'? is a retractile member 18, herein disclosed as a coil spring, having one end secured, as at 19, to the base of the groove or channel -17 and having the outer end portion of a flexi-- ble member 11 secured to the opposite end thereof, so that outward tension is constantly imposed upon the tail piece T.

The plate 9 in its outer marginal portion is provided with an open slot 20 to receive the shank 21 of the adjusting member M.

' The shank 21 is loosely disposed through the plate 1 1 and in threaded engagement, as at 22, with the end wall of the body B. The shank 21 is also provided with an annular shoulder 23 contacting with the inner face of the plate 1 1 so that upon rotation of the shank 21 in one direction, said plate 1 1 will be forced outwardly, together with the plate 9 and the tail piece T. After the plate 14: has been moved outwardly as de sired and in order to tighten the strings of the instrument, the hook members 2a carried by the body B are engaged with the out standing pins 25 carried by the plate 9, so that the tail piece T is effectively held against movement so that no interference will be offered to the requisite tightening of the strings of the instrument for tuning the same through the instrumentality of the conventional type of keys (not shown).

The plate 14 is also provided with the inwardly directed elongated guide pins 26 loosely directed through the adjacent portion of the wall of the body B and whereby said plate 14 is caused to travel, under the influence of the shank 21, in'substantially a fixed path of travel.

lVhen it is desired to compact the instrument, the hooks 24; are disengaged from the pins 25 and the plate 14 moved inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2. The neck N is then swung inwardly of the body with the result that the tail piece T travels forwardly over the belly of the body B, together with the plate 9, owing to the hinged connection 8 of the plate 9 with the tail piece T. This for-- ward movement of the tail piece T is afforded by the expansion of the members 18 with the advantage that said members 18 hold the strings of the instrument taut. In other words, with an instrument constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention, the neck N may be folded inwardly of the body and housed therein without the necessity of disconnecting or removing the strings of the instrument. hen the tail piece T moves forwardly over the belly of the body B, the slot 20 in the plate 9 allows the plate to be withdrawn from the shank 21. To facilitate the forward movement of the tail T the plate 9 may be manually raised upwardly.

lVhen it is desired toadjust the instrument for playing, the neck N is swung outwardly into desired position and as the neck is swung outwardly, the retractile members 18 draw the tail piece T outwardly until the plate 9 assumes substantially the position shown in Fig. 2, and when the plate 1% is moved outwardly by the shank 21, the strings of the instrument will be tightened and after the hooks 24 have again been engaged with the pins 25, the instrument may be properly tuned by the requisite manipulation of the keys and in a well known manner.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a hinged musical instrument constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A stringed musical instrument co1npris ing a body and a neck hingedly connected with the body and foldable into the body, a portion of a Wall of the body being removable to permit the neck to fold within the body.

2. A stringed musical instrument comprising a hollow body having an opening in its back, a blocker-ranged within the body and movable toward-and from the back thereof, and a neck hingedly connected to the block,

the opening in the back permitting the neck when folded inwardly of the body to be moved within the body.

3. A stringed musical instrument comprising a hollow body having an opening in its back, a block arranged within the body and movable toward and from the back thereof, a neck hingedly connected to the block, the opening in the back permitting the neck when folded inwardly of the body to be moved within the body, and means for closing said opening.

4:. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body, a neck hinged to the body, a tail piece yieldingly supported by the body, and means for holding the tail piece against movement when in playing position.

5. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body, a neck hinged thereto, a tail piece, yielding means for connecting the tail piece to the body, a plate hinged to the tail piece and adapted to overlie the end wall of the body, and means coacting with said plate for locking the tail piece in working position.

6. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body, a neck hinged thereto, a tail piece, yielding meanstor connecting the tail piece to the body, a plate hinged to the tail piece and adapted to overlie the end wall of the body, means coacting with said plate for locking the tail piece in working position, and means coacting with-the plate for moving the tail piece longitudinally of the body independently of the yielding connection between the tail piece and the body.

7 A stringed musical instrument comprising a body, a neck hinged thereto, a tail piece, yielding means for connecting the tail moving the tail piece longitudinally of the body.

8. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body, a neck hinged thereto, a tail piece, yielding means for connecting the tail piece to the body, a plate hinged to the tail piece and adapted to overlie the end wall of the body, means coacting with said plate for locking the tail piece in playing position, means coacting with the plate for moving the tail piece longitudinally of the body, andmeans for causing the plate, when moved by the last-named means, to travel in substantially a fixed path of travel.

9. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body, a neck hinged thereto, a tail,

piece, yielding means for connecting the tail piece to the body, a plate hinged to the tail piece and adapted to overlie the end wall of the body, means coacting with said plate for locking the tail piece in playing position, means coacting with the plate for moving the tail piece longitudinally of the body, and guide pins carried by the plate and loosely directed through the adjacent Wall of the '7 body to cause said plate to travelin substantially a fixed path.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

ENRICO RE.

WVitnesses GIoAocHINo DIoRIsroFoLo, ANToNINo B. VASSALLO. 

